After the busyness of the end of year celebrations, the new year is a wonderful opportunity to make a fresh start with good intentions and pure minds. Kadampa centers support us in doing this. Here are the activities organized by centers in Colombia, Mexico and Argentina.

During January, there is a unique sense of peace at Manjushri KMC, with many retreats and other activities taking place. This year, the principal retreat in the Temple is with Gen Tonglam called Discover the Union of Sutra and Tantra — a very special presentation of the essential Lamrim meditations, as shared with us by Venerable Geshe-la in his book The Mirror of Dharma with Additions.

In the early days of January, many centers organize winter retreats where stillness, silence, and blessings take center stage. Set amidst snowy mountains, these retreats offer a serene experience at Kailash IRC in Switzerland and in the Ennstal region of Upper Austria.

The practice of purification is one of the four great preliminary practices. The practice of Meditation and Recitation of Buddha Vajrasattva is a powerful method for purifying our mind and actions. Recently KMC Spain, KMC Barcelona, KMC Madrid and KMC Cologne in Germany engaged in this wonderful purification practice, organizing retreats at their centers.